Oboe or english horn



(No Model.)

0. F. MULLER. v OBOE 0R ENGLISH HORN.

Patented Nov. 6, 1888.

PATENT CARL FRIEDRICH MOLLER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

OBOE OR ENGLlSH HORN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,

dated November 6, 1888.

Application filed November 11, 188']. Serial No. 951,916. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CARL Fnrnnnron Mil:- LER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Oboes or English Horns, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specilicatiomlike letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of the oboe or English horn, whereby execution is made easier and more rapid and the tones clearer and definite, the intervals being preserved, and also the fingering; and my invention consists in various details of construction to be hereinafter described.

Figure 1 shows in plan view the upper sec tion of an oboe or English horn embodying this invention, the mouth-piece or reed being omitted. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the lower section of the instrument; Fig. 3, aside elevation of the upper section of the instrument shown in Fig. 1, looking toward the left, several of the keys being shown in section; Fig. 4, a side View of a portion of the lower section shown in Fig. 2, looking toward the right; and Figs. 5 to 16, inclusive, cross-sections of the instrument, to show in detail several of the keys to be referred to.

The instrument herein shown is made as a tapering conic tubular cylinder of wood divided in two sections, A B, adapted to be joined together. The mouthpiece or reed (not shown) is adapted to be attached to the upper end of the upper section, A, in usual manner.

Many of the tone-holes herein shown, also many of the keys, are all as usual, so that only three, which are considered novel, need be referred to. The usual octave tone-hole has the usual cover-key, it, provided with the lateral projection a, so that the said cover-key may be depressed by the linger pressing either upon the lateral extension a or upon the key proper. Heretofore this cover-key a has had. a slot, (6, or opening through it communicating with the tone-hole to be covered by the finger (more or less) when said key is depressed, according to the reed employed, it being understood that reeds vary in stiffness, &c., and hence the size of the slot or opening must be changed to a slight degree to obtain an accurate tone for the octave, in rapid execution it has been found ditlicult to change the size of this slotor opening a" with the finger, and hence I have provided a valve or adjusting device (herein shown as a screw, a) which enters the material of the key, and by turning said screw the size of the said slot or opening is changed posi tively when a new reed is applied.

It will be seen that the key (I. will be closed by pressing either upon the said key a or upon the lateral extension to; but in closing the key a by pressing on the extension c the slot or opening (f remains open, and in closing the said key a by pressing upon itself the slot or opening will be closed.

Heretofore the three tone-holcs c c e have been provided with ring keys, as herein shown, and a cover-key, 0', covers the usual tone-hole between the tone-holes c 0'; but complicated and inconveniently-operative mechanism has been employed to operate the cover-key 0* to open it when the ring-key c was depressed, and heroin I have shown the ring-key 2 of the tone-hole c as pivoted at 3 and provided with a projection, 4, which engages the under side of a projection, 5, of a rock-shaft, G, the opposite end of said rock-shaft 6 having an arm, 7, which engages the under side of one arm of the cover-key 0", so that as the ringkey 2 is depressed the shaft (3 is rocked to remove the arm 7 from the under side of the arm of the cover-key c, and thereby permit the cover-key c to open by the aid of its usual spring, it being understood that said coverkey 0" is normally closed. The object of this cover-key c and its tonc hole is when the ring-key 2 is depressed, to produce ll. 5' easy way Fsharp, and by the construction herel; shown said key '0" is automatically raised when said key 2 is depressed by a very simple connecting mechanism. I have also herein provided between the tone-hole covered by the ring-key (Z and the cover-key d an additional half-tone hole, which has a cover key, (1 pivoted to the stationary shaft 9, the opposite or outer arm, 10, of said additional key (1 bearing upon a lateral projection, 12, ofa pivoted bracket, 18. The said additional key d is normally held open, and when the bracket 13 is lifted the said key (1 will be closed.

The bracket 13 is herein shown as lifted by IOC depressing. the cover-key d,whieh is attached to it.

The sleeve of the additional key (1 has an arm, 14, which bears upon a bracket or arm, 15, fixed to the outer end or arm of the ringkey d, so that as the said ring-key d is depressed the additional key (I will also be depressed.

The cover-key d (see Figs. 1 and 3) rests beneath the extension a of the key a, said extension a being broken away in Fig. 1 to show the said key d The key d is attached to a sleeve mounted upon the shaft 9, said sleeve having an arm, 16, which bears upon the bracket or arm 15 of a cover-key, d, so that when the ring-key is depressed the cover-key (1 will also be depressed, while also it will be seen that the cover-key d may be depressed by pressure upon the extension a without moving the ring-key d. By this construction an additional key (Z is provided to vary the tone produced by depressing the coverkey d. Heretofore a tone-hole has been provided coincident with the tone-hole of this additional key (1 and I have retained the said tone-hole as in the old construction, it being covered by the cover-key d. The bracket 13 is attached at one end to a sleeve, 17, which is provided with an arm, 18, which rests against the under side of one end of a pivoted arm,1),the opposite end of said arm 19 lying just upon the octave-key e. The octave-key a is fixed to a sleeve, 20, mounted upon the shaft 21, said sleeve having an arm, 22, which rests against the under side of one arm of a T-shapcd bracket,23,fixed to the shaft 21. Another 00 tave-key,e,is attached to a sleeve, 24, mounted upon the shaft 21, said sleeve having an arm, 25, which rests against the under side of the other arm of the T-shaped bracket 23. Suitable springs are placed beneath the keys 0 a to normally keep them closed.

By the construction herein shown when the bracket 13 is lifted the pivoted lever 19 is raised to permit the key 6 to be lifted when the shalt 21 is rocked, and ifthe bracket 13 is retained in its normal position the shaft 21 may be rocked and the key 0 will be lifted.

The tone-holes shown having the cover-keys c c, I do not herein claim, but only the operating mechanism employed for the said keys.

Heretcre the cover-key d has been att ched'to the operating-lever 30 and a second operating-lever, 31, employed to raise it; but

herein Ihave attach ed the said cover-key to the said second lever, 3i, and the outer end of the lever 30 passes beneath the said second lever, 31, to raise it, as shown in dotted lines. By this arrangement the tone-hole of the coverkey d may be made nearer the tone-holes upon the upper side of the instrument,so that saliva which passes into the instrument will not clog the said holes.

In the present invention the cover-key f is attached to the end of the lever f, the coverkey g attached to the outer end of the lever y, and the cover-key h is attached to the outer end of the lever h, these three levers being arranged in the order specified, and by these levers execution becomes much easier in many respects.

In the presentinvention the cover-keys i t" are both arranged upon the upper side of the instrument. The cover-key i is attached to a shaft, '5 having an arm, 1', which is engaged bya pivoted lever, 2', so that when the said lever i is depressed the key t" is lifted. The cover-key i is attached to a shaft, i, to which shaft the lever '5 is fixed, so that by depressing the lever i the key 1 will be closed, it being understood that the said key 7; is normally opened and the key inormally closed. The lever i has an arm or projection, i just be neath the outer end of the lever i, so that when the said lever i is depressed to raise the key t" the lever i will also be depressed to thereby depress the key I claim- 1. In an oboe or English horn, the tone-hole and cover key therefor having the slot or opening a", combined with a valve or adjusting device for said slot or opening, substantially as described.

2. In an oboe or English horn, the ring key 2 and its tone-hole and the cover-plate c" and its tone-hole, combined with the rockshaft 6, having the arms 5 and 7 as a connecting mechanism between said ring-key 2 and the cover-key c, substantially as described.

3. In an oboe or English horn, the toneholes having the cover-keyed d and the ringkey (I, combined with the additional tone-hole and its cover-key d which lies coincident with the tone hole of the cover-key d substantially as described.

4. In an oboe or English horn, the tonehole having the cover-keyd, combined with the additional tone-hole having the cover-key (Z and connecting mechanism between said keys, whereby the key (1 is closed by depressing the key (1, substantially as described.

5.'In an oboe or English horn, the toneholes having the ring-key (Z and the additional cover-key d, combined with connecting mechanism between said keys, whereby the key d is closed when the ring-key d is depressed, substantially as described.

6. In an oboe or English horn, the toneholes having the cover-key d, ring-key d, and cover-key (1, combined with connecting mechanism between said keys, whereby when the ring-key (Z is depressed both the said coverkeys d and (1 will be closed, substantially as described.

7. In an oboe or English horn, the coverkeys 0 cand tone-holes therefor,combined with the shaft 21, having the T-shaped bracket 23, and the sleeves 2O 24 for the said keys 6 c,having the arms 22 25, substantially as described.

8. In an oboe or English horn, the coverkey d and the lever 31, to which it is attached,- combined with the independent lever 30, one end of which lies beneath the lever 31 to raise it when depressed, substantially as described.

9. In an oboe or English horn, the keys f, In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name 10 g and h and their operating levers f g h, to this specification in the presence of two s11barranged in the order specified, substantially scribing witnesses. as and for the purposes set forth.

10. In an oboe or English horn, the keysz' I CARL FRIEDRICH MULLER.

vi, located upon the upper side of the instrument, as shown and described, combined with Vitnesses:

the shafts 2" i, the operating-levers 2" i and BERNICE J. Noyes, the arm '17", substantially as described. i B. DEWAR. 

